


Call Me

by shadowsamurai



Category: Waking the Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Romance, Subtext
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-01
Updated: 2012-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:31:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsamurai/pseuds/shadowsamurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of conversations and phone calls changes things for Boyd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Call Me If You Want To

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers up to and including Episode 1, Season 7.  
> Set around the first half of episode above, an alternate take on what could have happened.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

*'Call me.'*

Those were the only words that stuck in Boyd's mind as he put his phone away and steeled himself for what lay ahead.

*'Call me.'*

Had Sarah said anything more? Had he replied? Boyd couldn't be sure of anything. All he knew for certain was that his son was sat in a room just down the corridor. At least Boyd thought it was his son; there was always the possibility it wasn't Luke. Boyd shook his head. He knew that was just some form of wishful thinking on his part.

Boyd slowed down when he neared the door. Hesitantly, almost carefully, he looked through the small window. There, sat on a bed, looking down at the floor, was a young man. He was dressed in poor clothes, which were as dirty as his skin. His hair was limp and he looked gaunt, from the side at least.

Even before he turned, Boyd was in no doubt it was his son.

Luke's head swung slowly towards the door and in an instant, his eyes locked with Boyd's. Uncertainty and disbelief registered in both gazes, but something else welled in Boyd, something he was all too used to.

Anger.

Anger at himself for not being a better father. Anger at Luke for leaving, for putting him through so many restless nights and causing him so many haunted dreams.

Turning away suddenly, Boyd strode down the corridor, slamming the double doors open viciously as he passed through them. In the back of his mind, he wondered if the hospital would bill him if the doors caused any damage to the walls.

As he sat in his car, far away from the hospital, Boyd took out his phone and scrolled through the numbers stored in it. It was a short list, especially when he discounted the ones that were work related. Finally, he reached the name he was looking for and with a small delay, he dialled the number.

*"Hello?"*  
"Hi, Grace," Boyd said quietly.

*"Boyd? Are you okay?"*

"Not exactly. I-I've found Luke," he replied. The line was quiet for so long Boyd thought he'd lost Grace. It wasn't until she spoke that he realised how true that sentence was.

*"I didn't even know you were still looking for him, Boyd. Actively, I mean. How did you find him?"*

Boyd took a deep breath as he launched into the story, trying to make it as brief as he could without glossing over the important details. "Sarah knew," he added as an afterthought. Bad idea, he realised, also an afterthought.

*"Well maybe you should be talking to her instead of me,"* Grace replied, her tone slightly frosty. *"I'm sorry, Boyd, but I'm busy. Will you be coming into work today?"*

"I don't know. Grace, I -"

*"Then I'll see you when you do decide to come into work again."* Without another word, Grace put the phone down.

Boyd stared at his mobile for a few moments before flinging it onto the passenger seat, turning his car engine on and putting it into car before speeding towards the police building.

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

Grace knew she was inviting the wrath of the lion into her den by acting as she just had done, but for some reason, Boyd's comment cut her deeply.

*'Sarah knew.'*

"Bully for Sarah," Grace muttered.

A knock on her door made the profiler look up, quickly schooling her features into an expression of disturbed concentration. Spencer stood in the doorway, frowning slightly.

"Is there some sort of emergency we don't know about?" he asked.

Grace stared. "What do you mean, Spence?"

"I just got a call from traffic. Boyd's car's been caught breaking the limit by double," the DI explained. "He's heading this way, faster than a speeding bullet apparently."

"Oh dear," Grace murmured, lowering her eyes and shaking her head. Of all the possible outcomes from that brief phone call, Boyd coming into the office to yell at her was not a scenario she had imagined.

Ten minutes later, the squad room doors were almost taken off their hinges as Boyd pushed them open, his expression as dark as his eyes.

"You two," he said, pointing to Stella and Spencer. "Out, now. And take Eve with you."

Spencer frowned. "Boss?"

"MOVE!" Boyd roared.

"We're going," Stella said in a terrified voice. Both she and Spencer headed towards the lab and never returned. Grace assumed they had taken the back entrance out of the building; in fact, she hoped they had. This was a confrontation that promised to be ugly.

"You know you could have let them stay, Boyd," Grace snapped, deciding to barb him straight away. "It's not like they haven't heard us arguing before."

"Are you a friend?" Boyd asked.

The question caught Grace completely off guard. "What?"

"I asked if you were a friend."

"What has that -?"

"Because I thought a friend would be more interested in the fact that I have found my son, rather than the fact I chose to talk about with my girlfriend and not them!" Boyd continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"And as a friend, I would expect you to talk to me *as well as* your girlfriend," Grace retorted, trying her hardest not to spit the last word out.

"Is this about Sarah?"

Again, his question caught her off balance, but she recovered quicker that time. "I think you're more protective of her than you are of anybody on this team!" Grace said, knowing full well it wasn't an answer. "This is about you, just like it always is!"

Boyd's eyes went hard and his expression froze. "That is a step too far, Dr Foley."

"What are you doing to do, Boyd? Arrest me? Beat me?" she shouted. "I have to work with you everyday; what could be worse than that?"

Words, once spoken, can never be taken back. They may hurt like barbs, but a barb can be removed. A word remains, burnt into the brain like a brand on the skin. Grace knew as soon as the words had left her mouth that she should never have thought them, let alone have said them. But it was too late. The damage, quite possibly irreparable, had already been done.

Hurt flashed in Boyd's eyes briefly, a rare glimpse of his soul, before the shutters came down and the wall went up, so impenetrable that it was possible nobody would ever get under his skin again.

"If that's the way you feel, Grace, perhaps it's time you looked for a different job," he said quietly, turning and leaving.

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

For the second time in an hour, Boyd found himself sat in his car, miles from anywhere. Or anywhere important at least. He picked his phone up again, but this time he knew exactly whose number he was looking for.

*"Hello?"*

"Hi," Boyd replied.

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

In her office, Grace finally lost the battle of wills with herself and reached for the phone. As she dialled Boyd's number, she wondered what the hell she was going to say to him. They'd had their far share of arguments, there was no doubting that, but they were rarely personal. The last time that had happened, Grace had left for a time. She didn't want that to happen again.

But there was no ringing tone, only an intermittent beep. Boyd's phone was engaged. It didn't take a genius to work out who he would be talking to.

Grace was about to put the phone down when her little voice of reason piped up and told her not to waste the opportunity. Grace wasn't sure what opportunity it was talking about, but when Boyd's voicemail service kicked in, she knew she had two choices.

She chose option one, and left him a short message.

*'Call me. Please.'*

TBC


	2. Call Me Tonight

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

Whatever joy Sarah felt about Boyd ringing her back quickly gave way to confusion when she heard what he was talking about. She had expected him to tell her how things had gone with Luke, but instead, Boyd ranted and raved about Grace. His speech patterns were disjointed, much like his thoughts, Sarah guessed, and she had a hard time keeping up. She managed to discern that there had been an argument between the pair, but that was nothing new by all accounts. Why this one had Boyd so riled, though, Sarah didn't know.

Boyd would never admit how much he needed Grace, but in reality, he didn't have to. Everybody knew that and Sarah understood the profiler's role on the team better than she let on. Grace was the linchpin of the unit; remove her and the whole thing would fall apart.

Sarah kept that firmly in mind when she started talking again.

*"Did you see Luke?"* she asked.

Boyd faltered, having momentarily forgotten about his son. "Yes."

*"And?"*

"And nothing. I didn't talk to him. I had to leave."

Sarah was quiet for a moment. *"Why did you argue with Grace?"*

"I told you!" Boyd said loudly.

*"No, actually, you didn't. You said a lot of things about her, but you never told me what the argument was about."*

"I - she - what does it matter? She's an infuriating…."

*"Woman?"* Sarah supplied calmly.

Boyd sighed. "I phoned her first, to tell her about Luke," he admitted. "I don't know why, it just felt…."

*"Right,"* Sarah finished for him. *"It's alright, Boyd. I'm not the possessive type, you know. Grace has been in your life a long time; she's one of your closest friends. I understand that you would think of phoning her instead of me at times. What did you say to upset her?"*

"How do you know she didn't upset me first?" Boyd asked indignantly.

*"I know you, Boyd. Bull, china shop…these words ringing any bells?"*

He ignored her. "All I said was how I'd found Luke and that you knew."

*"And then?"*

"And then she turned Arctic on me!"

Sarah tried not to chuckle. *"That sounds a little more like something one of your junior officers would say."*

"You're supposed to be helping," Boyd whined.

*"Alright, what happened after Grace's…frosty reply?"*

"She said she's see me whenever I came back to work and put the phone down on me."

*"Boyd, please tell me you didn't do anything stupid,"* Sarah said, and was rewarded with a silent reply. *"Oh, Boyd. What did you do?"*

"You're making this sound like it's all my fault!" Boyd shouted. "I went to the office and told her that if she was a friend, she should behave like one. I asked her if she had a problem with you and she didn't reply. She told me I was self-absorbed and that I had to be the centre of everything."

*"And?"*

Boyd ran a hand over his face. "I said that was a step too far, and Grace said…she asked me what I was going to do about it."

Sarah knew this was the crux of the problem. *"What did she say exactly, Boyd? I know you can remember."*

"She said, 'What are you doing to do, Boyd? Arrest me? Beat me? I have to work with you everyday; what could be worse than that?'" he replied quietly. "Actually, she shouted it. Rather loudly."

*"Did you say anything else? Do anything?"* Sarah asked.

"I told her if she felt like that, she should look for another job, and then I left." Boyd sighed. "Am I missing something here? I mean, I know I'm only a man, and a clueless one at that, but I don't even know what set the argument off!"

*"This is you and Grace, Boyd. Do you ever know?"*

Boyd glared at the world through his windscreen, but didn't reply, mainly because Sarah was absolutely right. Very rarely did he realise why he and Grace fought, but it was clear the profiler knew the reason. And now, he thought, so did Sarah.

*"Are you going to apologise to Grace?"* Sarah asked after a while.

"I should," Boyd replied.

*"Anything else?"*

"Such as?"

Sarah sighed. *"You're hard work."*

"So people keep telling me," Boyd muttered, his tone bitter.

*"We tell you because we care,"* Sarah said gently. *"Grace wants more than an apology from you; she wants you to talk to her. Open up."*

Boyd groaned. "You know I'm no good at that kind of thing. Anyway, how do you know what Grace wants?" he asked suspiciously.

*"Grace is a woman,"* Sarah replied, as though that explained everything. *"Boyd, you have to analyse the situation. Think exactly when she exploded at you."*

"When I mentioned your name."

*"Then that's the problem."*

"You? Grace said she likes you."

Sarah shook her head. Even for a man, Boyd was incredibly dense at times. She had long ago worked out one half of the equation; the other half was still an uncertainty. *"I'm not going to give you the answer, Boyd. You have to work it out for yourself,"* Sarah told him. *"Listen, I have to go. Call me tonight, let me know how things are going, okay?"*

"Okay. Bye." Boyd ended the call, frowning in confusion. He had no idea what the hell had just happened, but he was more certain than ever that Sarah knew what the problem was between himself and Grace.

His phone beeped and he looked down with mild interest.

*1 new voicemail message.*

Boyd punched in the number for his answering service and listened as the message came up.

*'Call me. Please.'*

Grace had taken the first step, and that in itself confused Boyd. Not that she had a problem with admitting she was wrong, but after the way he had stormed into the office, Boyd thought Grace would be making him grovel for a month.

Climbing out of his car to stretch his legs, Boyd checked the battery life on his phone and then keyed in a number.

"Hi. It's me," he said in a quiet voice.

TBC


	3. Call Me Later

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

Grace sighed quietly with relief when she heard Boyd's voice. He wasn't very good at masking his emotions, especially when he was angry, so to hearing a quiet tone of voice gave Grace hope.

"Hi," she replied, then continued, without preamble, "Do you think this is a conversation we should be having over the phone?"

Boyd smiled. *"It might be safer,"* he said.

Grace raised on eyebrow. "Safer?"

*"Have you noticed that whenever we're around each other, we seem to end up arguing?"*

Grace was tempted to give a sarcastic response, but she decided not to rock the boat. "I wouldn't say always, Boyd."

*"Most of the time."*

"Yes, most of the time."

*"Why do you think that is?"* Boyd asked.

But Grace shook her head. "No, Boyd, why do *you* think that is? I'm the psychologist, remember? I could analyse this situation in my sleep."

*"'Could',"* he repeated. *"Does that mean you haven't?"*

Grace hesitated, but could find no problem with being honest. "No, I haven't."

*"Can I ask why?"*

"You can ask…."

*"Alright, can I ask why and will you give me an answer?"* Boyd interrupted quickly.

"Since you asked so nicely," Grace replied. "I'm too close to the situation to be objective about it, and to be perfectly honest, I'm afraid of what I might discover if I analyse…us too closely."

Boyd mulled that over. *"Would you still be afraid if we looked at…us…it together?"* he asked quietly.

"What are you saying, Boyd?" Grace replied, shaking her head.

*"We can't keep arguing, Grace. You know that as well as, if not better than, I do. We have to find the reason we fight, or if you already know the answer, please help me find it."*

"Over the phone?" she asked slyly.

Boyd smiled. *"I was thinking somewhere more public. That way it would be safer."*

"For me or you?" Immediately, Grace regretted her words.

But Boyd didn't seem to bother. *"Me, of course."*

The profiler chuckled. "Okay. Where?"

*"Greek restaurant around the corner. Half an hour."*

"Who's paying?"

*"Bye, Grace."*

As Boyd ended the call, all he could hear was her laughing. It was a sound that lightened his heart in a way he'd never noticed before. He realised he hadn't treated Grace very well, as a friend, and that he got angry with her because she could see right through him, more so than anyone else he'd ever known.

As Boyd drove away, he realised that was the problem. Now all he had to do was put it into words.

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

Boyd was deliberately late, though if Grace asked, his tardiness was due to the traffic. In truth, he wanted time to just watch the profiler for a while, so he could try and assess her mood.

Grace sat at a table in a corner, a deliberate placing, no doubt. She seemed the picture of calmness, as always, but Boyd could see that she was a little nervous by the way she kept crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Deciding he had kept her waiting long enough, Boyd make a show of looking around for her and then heading to the table.

"I know, I'm late. Traffic," he said in greeting.

Grace gave a small smile. "That's alright. I was just debating what to order."

"Wine?"

"Definitely."

Boyd made himself comfortable and then, on a hunch, he took off his jacket. "Warm," he said in answer to Grace's questioning look.

The profiler nodded, though she didn't believe him. She knew it was an attempt to make things seem more casual, to put her at ease, and it was working. But Grace knew if they sat there long enough, the reason they had met would disappear and nothing would ever get sorted.

"So, you want to find out why we fight," Grace stated.

Boyd nodded as he poured the wine that had just arrived. "I have the answer…well, one answer," he replied, staring at the table. "You know me better than anyone else I know, and you're not afraid to stand up to me or to tell me what you're thinking, especially of me. So many of your…of your comments hit right on the mark. It scares me. So I mask that with anger."

Grace smiled. "You can look at me, Boyd. I'm not going to rip your head off."

He nodded and glanced up. "Sometimes it's easier not to look at someone when talking."

"Like over the phone?"

"Yes."

Grace sipped her wine. "Is that why you talk to Sarah?"

Boyd leant back in his chair, but kept his pose relaxed and not defensive. "Sarah and I have a lot of things in common, Grace. I like her and, surprisingly, she likes me. I talk to her because she just…listens. It doesn't mean I think any less of you as a friend, but…."

"I over analyse everything," Grace replied, smiling easily.

"Like I use anger in response to everything."

Grace nodded. "And it isn't surprising. To you perhaps, but I-" She stopped quickly. "Never mind."

Something started to tug at the edge of Boyd's mind, but he put it down to alcohol on top of an empty stomach. He took a drink and regarded his friend over the rim of his glass. He couldn't remember the last time they had sat down for a meal, just the two of them. It had never been a regular occurrence, but at least it had happened. Now, they just seemed to…be.

"You're staring. Have I got something on me?" Grace asked, slightly amused, slightly annoyed.

Boyd started a little. "What? No. I was just trying to remember last time we did this."

"Ate together or talked?"

"Both," Boyd replied with a smile. "Grace, I want to ask you something but I don't want you to get defensive."

Grace's expression immediately became wary. "O-kay."

"And I'd like you to give me an honest answer."

The profiler smiled. "I usually do."

"I just wanted to be sure," Boyd replied. "Do you have a problem with Sarah?"

Grace pursed her lips in thought. "No, I don't have a problem with Sarah."

The nagging at Boyd's brain grew stronger. He still blamed the wine, but he paid more attention to the sensation. "Do you have a problem with my relationship with Sarah?"

"She makes you happy."

"That's not an answer, Grace."

The profiler looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "I don't want to answer truthfully, Boyd. Yes, our friendship has its problems, but I…I don't want the dynamics to change."

He leant across the table, his expression uncharacteristically soft. "You're not going to lose me."

"I already have," Grace replied, her voice barely audible, but Boyd heard it.

Their meal arrived at that moment and they ate in silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable. When they were ready for leaving, Grace reached for the bill but Boyd snatched it from under her fingers.

"I invited you," he told her.

"Go Dutch?"

Boyd shook his head. "You can pay for lunch tomorrow. I'll let you pick the place."

"You don't have…."

"I want to," he interrupted her. "We don't spend enough time together, Grace."

The profiler suddenly stood and left the restaurant abruptly. Boyd, though momentarily stunned by her unexpected departure, quickly through some money on the table, grabbed his jacket and strode after her.

He found Grace sat in her car, her eyes downcast. Boyd didn't know what to do; the touchy-feely, comforting thing had never been his…thing. But then he recalled finding a certain young DC in a skip full of rubbish; Boyd remembered how he had held Mel close to him and kissed her head, unbelievably glad they had found her in time.

Slowly, Boyd opened the driver's door of Grace car and knelt down, waiting for her to look at him.

"I heard what you said," he told her quietly. "I've never cared much for friends. Never had the time. But you…*I* can't lose *you*. Please have lunch with me tomorrow."

Grace's hand started to move towards him, her fingers reaching for his cheek, but she stopped herself before she touched him. "No."

Boyd's head drooped slightly. "Okay." He started to rise.

"I'll have dinner with you, though. We can go after work."

Boyd looked at her and smiled. "Okay."

"Will you be coming back to work now?" Grace asked.

"I'm right behind you."

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

The rest of the afternoon and most of the following day flew by so quickly that Boyd barely had time to breath, let alone think. The case was arriving at a crucial point, yet all he could think about was dinner that evening.

When his mobile started ringing, Boyd was tempted to ignore it, until he saw who was calling.

*"Hi."*

"Hi," he replied. "I know, I didn't call back."

*"I never said you had to, Boyd,"* Sarah replied. *"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."*

Boyd looked up and made his door was shut. It was, and the team was working away at their various stations. It was unlikely he would be disturbed for a while. "Busy, as usual. How are you?"

Sarah sighed. *"That's not what I meant, Boyd. How are things between you and Grace?"*

"Better. We had lunch yesterday and we're having dinner tonight."

*"And those answers you were looking for?"*

"Still not found them all. Why can't there just be one?" he grumbled.

Sarah gave a light laugh. *"We're women. Nothing is ever simple with us."*

Boyd rolled his eyes. "Don't I know it. So, are you going to tell me what your theory is?"

*"Of course not. I have to go in a minute, this was just a quick call."*

"Okay."

*"Boyd, I want you to listen to me."*

"I'm all ears," he replied.

*"Good. Leave yourself open to any possibility; you might just be surprised at what you find,"* Sarah said. *"That's it, for now anyway."*

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Boyd complained.

*"And? Bye, Boyd."*

"Bye."

TBC


	4. Call Me in the Morning

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

Boyd and Grace enjoyed a meal together every day for two weeks, learning things they never knew about each other and recalling facts they had forgotten.

Sarah's words kept echoing around Boyd's mind and he found himself relaxing more in Grace's presence that he ever thought was possible.

On the Saturday, Boyd told Grace to dress smartly and he took her to a more upmarket restaurant. At the end of the night, when Boyd dropped Grace off at home, she kissed him goodnight before practically running into the house.

When Boyd got home, he poured himself a drink and picked his phone up. There was someone he needed to call.

*"Hello?"*

"It's me."

Sarah gave a small laugh. *"Of course it is. I take it you've been busy,"* she stated.

"I'm sorry I haven't called lately," Boyd started.

*"I'm not bothered."*

Her words and her tone caught Boyd off guard; she really meant what she was saying. "Oh," was all he could think of.

*"Have you sorted things out with Grace?"* Sarah asked.

Boyd sipped his drink. "I think so."

Sarah sighed. *"I'm not psychic, Boyd. You have to explain things to me."*

"Really? I thought you knew everything."

*"Be nice."*

"Alright. Grace and I have eaten a meal together every day for the past two weeks," he replied. "Does that answer your question?"

*"Sounds like things are going fine to me,"* Sarah said with genuine warmth in her voice.

"They are."

Sarah sensed Boyd was holding back. *"But?"*

"You know I don't find this kind of thing easy," he told her.

*"Get out of here."*

"Be nice," Boyd murmured.

Sarah laughed. *"Sorry. I know you and feelings are…unmixy things, but why don't you try?"*

"Unmixy things?" Boyd repeated, amused.

*"They're rerunning Buffy,"* Sarah said in way of an explanation. *"It's the only decent thing on TV when I come home."*

"I see," Boyd replied, though he had no idea what she was talking about. "Grace and I had dinner tonight. It was…enjoyable."

Sarah rolled her eyes. He made it sound like a clinical procedure. *"And?"*

"Grace kissed me on the cheek when I dropped her off at home."

Sarah wasn't surprised at all. When she had first encountered the cold case unit, she determined instantly that Grace had strong feelings for Boyd, but that Boyd either didn't reciprocate or hadn't left himself open to the possibility of a relationship with his profiler. Sarah could only imagine how Grace must have felt when she found out Boyd was seeing someone else, but Sarah knew he would never commit one hundred percent to their relationship. But if the other person in the equation was Grace, not Sarah…things might be different.

All Sarah had to do was help Boyd to see other possibilities without pushing him into anything. *"I take it she's never done that before."*

"Never," Boyd said firmly.

*"Any ideas why Grace did that?"*

"I - I'm not sure."

Peter Boyd did not hesitate about many things; his pause might as well have been a star exploding. *"Peter, tell me what you think,"* Sarah said gently.

"Does Grace have…feelings for me?" he asked.

*"What do you think?"* Sarah persisted.

"I'm getting that impression and I'm not the world's most observant man when it comes to affairs of the heart," Boyd said dryly.

*"I've noticed. How do you feel about Grace?"*

"What about us?"

*"Remember what I told you before, Boyd? About leaving yourself open to possibilities,"* Sarah replied. *"I know we're good together and we get on well, but we both have lives in separate countries that we're not willing to give up. You deserve to be just as happy as I do. So I'll ask you again; how do you feel about Grace?"*

"These past two weeks, I've found myself relaxing when I'm with her," Boyd admitted.  
That did surprise Sarah. *"Really?"*

Boyd smiled. "I know. Strange, isn't it?"

*"And when she kissed you earlier, what did you feel?"*

"Like I wanted to kiss her back."

*"Boyd, I'm going to ask you a question and I want a straight answer,"* Sarah said.

"Alright."

*"When you're with me, do you think about the team and Grace in particular?"*

Boyd swirled the liquid in his glass, staring thoughtfully at it. "Sometimes."

*"And when you're with the team, and Grace in particular, do you think about me?"* Sarah asked.

Boyd hesitated, and he knew that was all the answer she needed. But he knew he owed her the courtesy of actually speaking the words. "Not that often."

*"That should tell you everything you need to know, then,"* Sarah said.

"But this is Grace," Boyd replied softly. "And we work together."

*"If you both want this badly enough, Boyd, you'll find a way around it. It won't be easy, but then nothing involving you two ever is."*

Boyd nodded. "True. I didn't set out to hurt you."

*"And you haven't,"* Sarah assured him. *"You were what I needed at the time; you helped me to realise I was ready to move on after the death of my husband. And I helped you resolve the death of your colleague. We're not parting on bad terms, Boyd. And that's how it should be."*

"Thank you."

*"You're welcome,"* Sarah said, her tone only mildly surprised. *"So what will you do now?"*

"Exact the simple and not-so-subtle approach," Boyd replied, draining his glass. "Go round to Grace's now and see what happens."

*"Good idea."* It was Sarah's turn to pause. *"I'd like you to call me in the morning, let me know how things have turned out. But if I don't hear from you, I'll assume everything's gone well, okay?"*

Boyd smiled. "Alright. Take care," he said, and he meant it.

*"And you."* Knowing there was nothing more to say, Sarah ended the call.

Boyd only stared at his phone for a second before standing and heading out of his house.

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

When Grace heard the doorbell, she frowned in confusion. The only people who would be calling round at this time of night on a weekend would be the team or a burglar. Grace smiled to herself; sometimes, there wasn't much difference between the criminals and those charged with catching them.

As she peered through the tiny looking glass in her front door, Grace's confusion quickly gave way to surprise and slight shock. Carefully, she unlocked the door and stared through the gap. "Is something wrong?"

Boyd looked nervous. "I need to talk to you."

"Alright." Grace opened the door fully and motioned him inside. Rarely had she seen Boyd so agitated and it worried. "Has something happened?"

"In a manner of speaking. I think I've had an epiphany, and you know I'm no good as this kind of thing, so I'll just be as blunt as I normally am and we'll take it from here," Boyd said, somewhat breathlessly. "I wanted to do this earlier."

Before Grace could reply, he bent his head and kissed her gently, not on the cheek, but full on the lips. When he pulled back, his eyes searched her for any hint about how she was going to react.

Grace couldn't hide her surprise, both at Boyd's action and at his sudden reciprocation of her feelings, feelings she was sure she had kept fairly well hidden. Grace then realised Boyd was taking her silence as rejection and she grabbed at his had.

"You shocked me," she said gently. "This…whatever *this* is, I don't want to rush it, B-Peter."

Boyd nodded. "I understand. For once."

Grace smiled. "Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?"

He nodded again. "Coffee, please."

"Follow me," Grace said, letting go of his hand and heading into the kitchen. "And we can talk about this."

"Why do you always want to talk, Grace?" Boyd asked as he sat down.

She looked at him sharply, then relaxed when she saw he was teasing her. "It's amazing what you can learn by talking, and listening."

"Hmm. For once, we agree. But only this once," he told her.

"Ooo, I must put it down on my calendar."

"Ouch, Dr Foley."

"Now, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Grace asked as she busied herself making their drinks. "How did you reach this epiphany?"

Slowly, Boyd told her everything, from their argument two weeks ago to his subsequent phone calls to Sarah. He made sure Grace knew that Sarah hadn't told him anything specific, merely helped to steer him in the right direction. Grace wasn't in the slightest bit facetious when she said she was very grateful to the other woman.

"I realised," Boyd continued, one hand wrapped around the hot cup, the other laced with Grace's, "That with you, I'm calm, believe it or not. I know that's not always the way, but for some reason, whenever we're away from work, it's different."

"That's good," Grace said. "I wouldn't want work to be the same as home."

"It hasn't always been like this," Boyd admitted. "Though when we first started working together, I often wondered if the flirting could go further. But lately…suddenly…I don't know. In a way, there has always only been you, Grace."

She smiled. "Hmm, I know. The team would cease to function without me."

"We almost did."

"Hmm."

"I've no idea what's going to happen tomorrow," Boyd said. "I still have a son I have to find again. I have to try and make amends with Luke."

"I know," Grace replied gently.

"Will you be around…if I need it?"

"I'll always be here, Boyd. You only have to ask."

"And us?"

Grace sighed. "I'll admit that I want an 'us' more than I thought, but I don't want to rush into anything. And at work…."

"We're professional," Boyd agreed. "But out of work…."

"Things could be very different," Grace said, smiling.

"Different can be good."

"Very good."

Boyd drained his cup. "What do we do now?"

"I am going bed," Grace announced. "It's very late, and I have to get up for work tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Boyd relinquished her hand and stood as well. "So do I."

Grace was looking at him curiously. "Why don't you stay?" she suggested calmly. "But only to sleep."

"I wasn't thinking about anything else," Boyd said honestly.

 

"Good."

"I don't have anything to sleep in."

"Are you wearing shorts?"

"Of course."

"What else do you need?" Grace asked, walking upstairs and not waiting to see if he followed.

"A toothbrush," Boyd said.

"Second drawer down in the bathroom."

Boyd smiled and shook his head. He washed and brushed his teeth quickly and then went out into the hall. "Can I come in?" he asked politely.

Grace laughed. "Of course. I'm not shy."

"Really?"

"Hush."

Despite Grace's words, they both kept their backs to each other as they changed. Somewhat awkwardly, they climbed into bed and Grace turned the light out. As Boyd lay on his back in the dark, he thought that the next door neighbours would be able to hear his heart beating. He knew it was a terrible cliché, but it seemed to fit.

"This isn't working," Grace stated.

"Do you want me to…?"

"Stay right there," she ordered him.

"Okay," Boyd said, amused.  
The next thing he knew, Grace was snuggling confidently into his side. Only the occasional little shiver gave away how nervous she was, so Boyd put his arms around her gently, determined to reassure her.

"We'll find a way, Grace," he told her quietly.

"I'm sure we will, but it won't be easy," she replied.

"Nothing worthwhile ever is. Besides, I thought you liked a challenge."

Grace didn't dignify that with a response; she just coughed, which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "In the morning, do you want to phone Sarah?" she asked after a while.

Boyd thought about it briefly. "No. I don't need to. We've nothing more to say to each other."

Grace suddenly lifted her head and kissed him. "You should call her at some point, even if it's only to say thank you."

"Yes, boss." Grace slapped his chest lightly, then decided it was far more fun to play with his chest hair. "That's not fair!" Boyd protested.

"I'm a woman."

"I had noticed."

"Sleep."

"Night, Grace."

"Night, Boyd."

WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD

A few days later, while there was a lull at work, Boyd picked his mobile up and dialled Sarah's number. It rang for a while and then clicked through to her answer machine.

"Hi, it's me. I haven't called because, well, everything's fine here. I just wanted to thank you, for everything, and if you need me, just call. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you're okay. I hope you are. Bye."

Boyd put the phone down and turned his attention back to his paperwork, his mind off Sarah almost immediately.

When Sarah collected her voicemail messages, she smiled at the sound of Boyd's voice, and at the message. Then, without regret or hesitation, she deleted it and his number from her phone. It was time to move on.

FIN


End file.
